First, before my blog below, I want to tell you that I’m going to be on television tomorrow night, March 1, 10:00PM, IFC cable channel (if I don’t end up on the cutting room floor). I will be in a comedy video clip playing the mother of the host, Patton Oswalt. I hope you can watch. Here’s my photo so you’ll know what I look like.

Now, on to my blog:

In my last blog, I wrote about the benefits of solitude. This post piggybacks on those thoughts. Life is so tumultuous and becomes more so with each so-called advance. What looks like something that will benefit mankind often turns out to just put more stress on we humble humans that fill it. For example, the automobile has proliferated to the point of almost constant gridlock. Our commute by car now seems as long as by the horse carriage it replaced. Today’s modern technology makes us more connected, able to work 24/7, able to access more and more data, and on and on. What happens to our slower evolving bodies in the meantime? I like the saying, “take care of your body, it’s the only home you have.” So, what do we do with everything bombarding us for our valuable and finite time and attention. We decompress! We must put up a mental gate–a barrier to protect ourselves from the ravages of that bombardment campaign. It’s hard to do; it takes willpower. How do we turn off that cell phone, computer, or TV which have become addictive and so much a part of our lives? Here are a few ideas: You can make a schedule and allot some quiet time during the day. You can take a vacation to a place off the grid. There aren’t many anymore, but seek them out and remember to leave your technology toys behind. I have a friend who refuses to get a cell phone or computer as she wants to enjoy life without the barrage of technology–smart woman. Do we really need hundreds of virtual friends on Facebook? Can we give ourselves permission to stop and smell the proverbial roses? Maybe. NOTE: Please forward this blog to anyone who might be interested. To read my previous blogs, click on the entries under “Recent Posts” and “Archives” on the right side of this page. If you’d like to be notified of my future blog postings or contribute a guest blog, you can click here on my book website: AdventuresWithDadTheBook.com and leave a message under the “Contacts & Links” tab.